Condescending

May 22, 2018Letters to the Editor

In your condescending May 14 editorial (“Waters can't give credit as minority employment soars”), you criticize U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters of California for daring to suggest that car dealers discriminate against black people, stating: “The automotive credit process is based on an individual's credit history and ratings, not skin color or gender. ... We understand how car loans work.”

Apparently, you don't understand how car buying works when you're black. This isn't just opinion, this has been proven in large, well-controlled studies. A study from Columbia law school showed that if black and white volunteers visited the same dealership and shopped for the exact same car, black men were quoted a price almost $1,000 more than that offered to white men. The same study showed women were quoted higher prices than men. A similar study showed that minorities are systematically offered worse terms on auto loans, even when they have better credit scores than whites.